When I start to catch a cold

My testimony

I have a good immune system, so I’m rarely ill. However, like everyone else, when I’m tired, my body is weakened and can be more easily overwhelmed by a viral attack that should go unnoticed in a balanced body. When I start sneezing, have a runny or itchy nose, or a congested head, I know that the virus has attacked and that my respiratory tract is undergoing an immune reaction. It’s time to act quickly to prevent the virus from taking hold, multiplying and moving to the throat and lungs.

My tip

As soon as I feel the first signs of a cold, or when people around me have a cold, I rush to use Scots pine hydrosol. It’s important to act quickly and frequently, within the first few hours, to control the inflammatory reaction, combining different routes of administration if possible.
At the onset of symptoms, I take one or two tablespoons of Scots pine hydrosol by mouth. I prefer to take it in warm water with a little honey, but temperate water is also suitable. At the same time, I diffuse this hydrosol continuously for the first few hours, in combination or alternately with Douglas fir or thujanol thyme hydrosols. I also use Scots pine hydrosol as a nasal drop. Using a dropper pipette, I put 3 or 4 drops of hydrosol into each nostril. It’s effective if the nose is congested, but not if it’s completely blocked. As far as possible, I breathe in an inhalation stick6 , the cotton wick of which I’ve soaked in Scots pine hydrosol.

What does phytotherapy have to say?

The common cold, or rhinopharyngitis, is a frequent infection of the upper airways caused by a virus, which is benign in adults and heals spontaneously. Cold viruses are transmitted by aerosol, generated by coughing or sneezing, or by contact with contaminated saliva or nasal secretions.
There is no drug treatment for the agent responsible for the common cold, so treatment is symptomatic, mainly to relieve nasal congestion. Hippocrates already cited pine extract as a remedy for diseases of the respiratory system. That’s why it’s still widely used today. Scots pine hydrosol has exceptional antiseptic virtues. It acts as a respiratory decongestant, expectorant, mucolytic and general tonic. It is particularly useful for respiratory pathologies.

Did you know?

Scots pine hydrosol is ideal for rhinitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, angina and bronchitis. It’s also a general tonic, immunomodulator and energizer, effective for both physical and nervous fatigue

I use hydrosols SAFELY

This tip is based on the classic use of organic and food-grade hydrosols. There are therefore no contraindications. The tablespoons should be replaced by teaspoons for children, for whom only a drop or two of hydrolat per nostril is needed to clear the nose.

PINUS SYLVESTRIS Scots pine

The Scots pine is a slender tree native to Europe, with a straight, reddish trunk that can reach 30 to 40 m in height. Extremely hardy, it fears neither cold nor drought, which gives it a very wide geographic range. It is a major species in Europe’s timber economy. It is mainly used for construction and paper pulp. Turpentine oil is extracted. Distillation of the budded twigs yields an essential oil rich in pinenes, which is cortison-like, neurotonic and anti-infectious, as well as a hydrolate rich in monoterpenols, a powerful anti-infective and stimulant.